Lamp holder



P 1 1942- A. G. MUELLER arm. 2,296,114

' LAMP HOLDER Filed Dec. 19, 1940 l0 v i 35 I\I 2 l3 I /|3 Inventorsi AcloH= G. Mueller, ohn M. pistey,

ThelrAtto'rney- Patented Sept 15, 1942 UNITED- STATES; FATE oFFica] LAMP nomna Adolf G. Mueller and John M.

'Pistey, Fairileld,

Com, asslgnors'to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York. I

. Application necember s, 1940, Serial'No. 370,816 I v w 7 Claims. (cr ne-era) Our invention relates to lamp holders and more particularly to lamp holders for tubular electric lamps, for example, fluorescent lamps of the type now in commercial use.

.An object of our invention is the provisionof anlmproved construction in lamp holders of the face l2. The spring-like bracket out of engagement with the lamp pins. As shown most clearly by Fig. 2, the lamp may be mounted in positionon the spaced holders simply byinsertin'gthe contact pins at one end of the lamp type described which i's particularly adapted 'for, I

outdoor use.

'Another object of our invention is the provision I of a lamp holder so constructed and arranged that the connection between'the lamp pins and the lamp holder contacts is. rendered substanprotected from deteritially water-proof and is oration due to moisture. I g A further object of our invention is the pro- -vision of lamp holders for each end of the lamp 1 which areresilientlymounted so that the lamp may 'be quickly mounted and removed therefrom.

'Inthe accompanying drawing, Fig. l is a view showing a lamp mounted on lamp1holders constructed in accordance with "our invention with the lamp arranged in position on a reflecting resilient insulating into engagement with the holder at that end and then separating the holders by a slight force applied to the one holder through the lamp while simultaneously moving the other holder outwardly about its flexible bracket. The lamp can now be moved into alignment with the lamp holders parallel with the reflecting surface 12 so that as the lamp holders are released they will firmly grip the' opposite ends of the lamp under the influence of the spring biasing brackets ill, Turning now to the structure of v the lamp holder, the body ll of the lamp holder is constructed of insulating materiahpreferably of a material such as rubber. Within the rubber body I I are spaced contact members IS, the contact members being spaced surface; Fig. 2 is a view showing the lamp hol'der in position for mounting or removal of the lamp;

I Fig. 3 is anen dview. of the lamp holder; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the lamp holder taken along the line H of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is another sectional the lamppins it. Each contact,member 'com-' prises -a cylindrical shell of a diameter to receive View along the line 5.5 of Fig. 3 showing the arrangement of the contact elements; and Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the lamp holder. Referring to the drawing, we have shown a tubular electric. lamp lamp, supported atv each end by sockets or lamp holders II' which in'turn are secured to a. supportingsurface [2, such as .a reflecting surface acorresponding lamp pinand each contact member is arranged within the body of the holder adjacent an inner face" with the end i or the contact member recessed from the face a slight distance. as shown at 2| in Fig. 6, to prevent accidental gontact with the contact memlll, such as a fluorescent berwhen the lamp is disconnected therefrom.

- A conductor 22 is connected to each of the confor,cooperation with the fluorescent lamp i0.

At each end the lamp 'is provided with a ferrule I! provided with'spaced contact pins II for making" electrical connection with the filaments at each endlof the lamp. As shown most clearly tact members in any suitable manner such as by solder 23. In assembling the contact members in the body of the lamp" holder the conductors 22 areffirst secured to the contact members and the" rubber body of the holder is then molded by Fig. 4, the ferrule l3 comprises a metallic collar I5 secured to the end of thelamp envelope and the collar is closed by an insulating disk 16 formed of sheet" fiber, or the like, which in turn,

supports the -aforementioned contact pins it.

The lamp holders receive the contact pins ateach end of the lamp and hold it position onthe reflecting surface I2.

is provided with spaced contact members which receive the lamp pins and make electrical con- In order to support the lamp, each lampholder nection therewith, .the contact membersbeing mounted in a which, in turn, porting bracket bodyll of insulating material is supportedon a flexible sup "secured to the reflecting surmounted in around the contacts. Extending downwardly from the body of the holder is an integrally formed sleeve 24- the conductors 22 and forms a strain relief to prevent pulls on the cords from damaging their connection with the contact -members.

inner'face 20 of the lamp holder body is providedmithan annular bead "which forms, in eflect, a gasket and which is of a diameter. such that it engages the insulating disk ferrule of the lamp in a continuous line outside the-lamp pins I tsothat dirt or moisture cannot penetrate into the space inside the bead and interfere with the electrical connection between the lamp .Plnsand the contact members of the lamp holder. In order to support the lamp holder opposite sidesoi the A I ll permits the body of the lamp holder to be moved into and apart a distance corresponding to the spacing of which surrounds a portionof The It of the end body'l'l'are provided gagement with the insulating disk It on the lamp on the bracket, it is moved and flexing it about the loop portion 3|.

v with grooves 26 for receiving. portions of the 18 in a manner now to be metal. That portion of the bracket engaging the 7,

body of the lamp holder is formed in the shape of a U with the arms 21 of the U resting in and closely engaging the grooves 26 formed in the body of the lamp holder. In mounting the body downwardly into the space, between the arms of the U and is held in position :by the frictional engagement of the resilient body with the arms of the bracket. Accidental separation of the members is prevented by ears 28 which extend inwardly from each of the arms 21 into the space between the arms 'so that when the lamp holder body is mounted in position the ears engage corresponding recesses. (not shown) in'the grooves 26 to lock the body in position. However, the lamp holder body may easily be pushed past the narrower portion of the space formed by the ears 28 since the body is of sufficient resiliency to snap past the ears. Each of the arms Tl'is provided with a lateral rib 29for increasing the strength thereof and each arm is fanned outwardly, as shown at 30, to provide a handle or gripping portion for flexing the mounting member reiav tive to the support i2. 7

Flexure of that portion of the bracket comprising the arms 2'! is provided for by a loop 3| The end of the loop is provided with openings 32 which receive mounting screws 33 for attaching the bracket to any suitable supporting surface,

in the instant case, the reflecting surface l2. The mounting bracket is formed of sheet metal of sufficient resiliency so that the bracket maybe flexed or moved relatively to the supporting surface into and out of a vertical plane simply by grasping the handle portions'3ll'of the bracket This makes it possible to mountrthe lamp in position withoutremovingthe body of the lamp holder 1 from the supporting bracket since the holder may be flexed outwardly to receive the lamp. To 4 mount the lamp, a lamp holder is provided for each end, the lamp holders a distance slightly less than the spacing ofqthe ferrules on the end of the lamp. This means s that when the lamp is mounted in position the 5 brackets l8 are flexed slightly so that a biasing force is appliedbby the looped portion of the bracket to force the head 25 into'close fitting enferrules. -Since'the bead is formed of resilient insulating material it,closely engages the end of the ferrule and provides an effective seal against lamp holder the entrance of dirt or moisture into the space v beneath the bead where it might interfere with the electrical connection betweenthe lamp pins g and the contact members. Removal ofinsertion of the lamp into the lamp holders is easily accomplished simply by flexing one or both of the lamp holders out of avertioal plane a distance corresponding to the'length of the lamp pins. This means that the lamp may be inserted in the at one end of the lamp and then moved downwardly past the face of "the other lamp holder into ahorizontal plane so that iipon release of the first mentioned lamp holder it70 moves back into engagement with the endof the lamp under the biasing action of the resilient bracket.

being spaced apart members.

. In some cases it may be desired to mount they lamps-immediately adjacent one-another in axial 78 sufficient room to provide for lateral movement of the lamp holders by bending of the mounting brackets to provide for mounting of the lamp in the manner already described. Under such circuinstances the lamp may bemounted in'position by first removing the insulating body ll of the lamp holder from engagement with the bracket, mounting the body on the endo! the lamp and then reseating the body in position between the arms of the mounting bracket; This arrangement requires the leads of the conductors 22 'to be sufficiently long to enable the body to be moved out of engagement with the mounting bracket. Inasmuch as the conductors 22 are normally hidden beneath the reflecting surface i2, this can be easily provided for.

Whatwe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A lamp holder for an electric lamp having a'ferrule at one end provided with spaced contact pins comprising, in combination, abody of insulating material, spaced contact members carried by said body adapted to engage the'lamp pins for making an electrical connection therewith, said body being provided with a head of resilient material adapted to engage the lamp ferrule in a continuous line surrounding the contact pins, a spring biased bracket for supporting said body,- said bracket biasing said bead into engagement with the lamp ferrule to provide a seal between the body and the ferrule to protect, the electrical connection between the lamp pins and the contact members.

2. A lamp holder for an electric lamp having a ferriile at oneend provided with spaced contact pins comprising, in combination, a body of q resilient insulating material, spaced contact members carried by said body adapted to engage the lamp pins for making tion therewith, saidbody bead of resilient material adapted to engage the lamp ferrule in a continuous line surrounding the contact pins, a spring biased ,bracket having spaced arms for releasably mounting .the body on said bracket,- said bracket being spring biased to press said head ferrule to provide a seal between the body and the ferrule therebyprotecting the electrical. con;

nection between the lamp pins and the contact 3. A lamp holder for use with an electric lamp having a ferrule at one end provided with spaced contact pins comprising, in combination, 'a body an electrical connecbeing. provided with a A into engagement with the lamp I of insulating material having spaced contacts J carried thereby adapted to receive the lamp pins for'making an electrical connection therewith].

a supportingbracket for said body, said bracket being spring biased tomove the. body into cooperative relationship withtheflamp ferrule with.

the contact pins engaging the contact members, J

and a gasket" of resilient material disposed between the end ferrule and the body, said gasket engaging the lamp ferrule in a continuous line surrounding the contact pins to provide 'a seal between the body and the ferrule the'rebyprotecting the electrical connection between ,the

lamp pins and the contact members.

4. In combination, a body of insulating .material having grooves in opposite sides thereof, a

- U-shaped bracket for .receivingsaid body in the space between the arms of theZU withthe. arms being seated in said grooves'and engaging the tb'hold it in position, said body being pro vided with contact means ior making an electrical connection 'with a lamp, a portion of said ing, in combination, a body of insulating material provided with contact means adapted to engage the lamp for making an electrical connection therewith, a bracket of flexible spring blasable material mounting said body on a support,

said bracket being provided with an integral spring portion to bias said body and contact means into engagement with the lamp, said bracket being movable by flexure 01 said vspring portion to release the contact members from engagement with the lamp.

6. In combination, a body of, insulating material having grooves in opposite sides thereof, a U-shaped bracketior receiving said body in the space between thearms oi the U,the arms being 7 seated in said grooves and engaging the body to holdit in position, said body being provided with contact means tormaking electrical connection with a lamp, a portion or said bracket comprising a flexible body and contact'means into cooperating relationship withthe lamp, the arms of theU-shaped bracket being Provided with outwardly extend-g ing portions constituting handles for moving the bracket against the biasing action 01' the spring against the action 0! the other-bracket, saidbracket being movable against said biasing acto disengage the contact, members from the lamp. I

' 7.- Ina lamp holder arrangement for an eiongated electric lamp having spaced contact pinsat each end, a holder for each end of the lamp, each holder comprising a body-oiinsulating matexial provided with spaced contact members adapted to engage the lamp contact pins at corresponding ends of the lamp for making an electrical connection therewith, brackets of spring 1 biasable material mounting saidbodies on a support, one 01' said brackets normally biasing a corresponding body and eontactmembers into engagement with the contact pins of the lamp tion to release the contact members from engagement with the lamp contact pins. 7

' JOHN M. PISTEY.-

spring'member biased to move said .v 

